Or maybe this film could be seen as a kind of DIE HARD ancestor, just a little bit, but with some ingredients that have nothing to do with the John McTiernan's movie. Though Yul Brynner's character, splendid mixup between cruelty and refinement, made me think of Alan Rickman's character as Hans Gruber in DIE HARD. An exquisite villian as I love in a film. Yes this movie is a very curious but terrific piece of work, awesome, gruesome on many scenes too, a feature which is very difficult to describe. A scheme that also made me think of Gordon Douglas' BARQUERO, the lead character facing a bunch of villains lead by the main character's Nemesis, here Yul Brynner instead of Warren Oates. Yul Brynner outstanding in the heavy leader. A movie that astonished me the first time I saw it, a wrecker scheme, as in Charles Brabant's LES NAUFRAGEURS. This film is adapted from a Jules Verne's book, I am so surprised. Kirk Douglas in a scene with Renato Salvatori, which is the same as Steve McQueen with Mako in the SAND PEEBLES. A shooting from a distance scene.
